stories and lessons from painting outdoors

The importance of a good tag line

With the advent of the “Painter of light” came the realization that marketing and art CAN work together to create a happier and wealthier existence for the aggrandizing artist. I hadn’t thought that much about it of late but today while flipping through the current issue of American Art Collector I stumbled across this little gem of a tag line, “The latest cubist master”. What the hell does that mean? How does the artist know that he is the most very recent cubist master incarnation? Surely a newer one has cropped up in the amount of time it took to put that issue to bed… and who bestowed the title of master on him anyway? The Royal Academy perhaps? Doubtful. So this got my little wandering brain to thinking about some alternative tag lines that are maybe a little more honest than some of the ones I’ve been seeing. Feel free to add to the list. You have to sort of envision these after an artists name in an ad for the full effect. Maybe in a nice italic script font.

My sides hurt! These are Classic Moore! Here are a few additionals as proof that I shouldn’t get up so early.

Master of the Mundane.
Twice voted Best Backyard Artist of the Century.
Majestic Mixer of Mud.
Never Understated, Always Overrated.
Seven-time winner of the Artist With Attitude Award.
A nearsighted landscapeist to be viewed from afar.
Maven of Affectation.
Simply Incomprehensible!
Painter of mimes and bikini hot dog girls.
Artist for All Ages.
The Ultimate Impressionist.
Impressionistically Realistic.
The most coloristicly challenged colorist of our time.
He paints because he can, not because he must.
Best Ever, Period!
You wish you were me, but you’re Not.
The Whistling Artist.

I paint so you don’t have to
Will paint for food
Bandwagon Painter
Self taught Master
Workshop Wanderer
Produce Producer
Copies Copiously
Award Seeker
Legacy Letdown
I can paint anything better than you

Fabulous post, Larry. I’m so relieved somebody else is thinking the same commentaries I am as I flip through these magazines, makes me feel a little less catty.
I’ve long felt the word “Master” has been overused to the point of being a meaningless imagined status now. Almost (though not all) all artists who fit that category in my mind are dead.
Thanks for the laughs!

Mutually Mudane
Crafting the Artistic Gimmick and Selling at Flea Markets
Pointless Tiny Brushstrokes
There’s a Reason No One Else Paints Like This
Taking Cute and Cheesy to a New Level
Paying Membership Fees to Have Letters After My Name

Hilarious. My friend, Brian Busch and I have been discussing the Novorealists for quite some time. Is the naming good or bad? What’s their intent with it? It was the first thing I thought of while reading this post. Tim beat me to it, but, I’m glad it got mentioned in here. Kudos.

One thing I’ve learned about funny is that timing is really important. I tend to flub stuff when I have had a few. I’m actually the good kind of drunk that slowly gets more and more quiet then goes and sits in the corner.

Painter of Blight – edgy urban scenes
Painter of Nite- for all those nocturnists out there
Painter of Might – those workshop students who always say they’re going to paint but never get around to it

But my fav is one my 82-year-old mom came up with a few years ago when she saw a Kinkade painting for the first time: she took one look at it and said, “He’s not the Painter of Light, he’s the Painter of SHITE!”